Who Should I Start? Najee Harris or Dylan Sampson

Tuesday, July 29, 7:13 PM

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said at training camp on Tuesday that there's still no timeline for running back Najee Harris (eye) to return to practice. The Chargers will play their first preseason game on Thursday against the Detroit Lions in the Hall of Fame game, and Harris hasn't been on the practice field at all with his new team after injuring his eye during a fireworks accident back on the Fourth of July. The Chargers are optimistic that Harris will be ready for the start of the 2025 regular season in early September, but with him missing all this crucial practice time, the odds of rookie first-rounder Omarion Hampton seizing lead-back work increases each day Harris is absent. The former Steelers RB has been consistent so far in his NFL career, but he lacks big-play ability and could be working behind Hampton all year.

Saturday, June 28, 11:38 AM

Cleveland Browns rookie fourth-round running back Dylan Sampson received work "as a running back and a receiver" during minicamp, according to RBs coach Duce Staley. Staley went on to add that Sampson "is able to go play in the slot and also he's able to go and play on third down and maybe sprinkle in a little second down." The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Dan Labbe thinks that heading into training camp, rookies Quinshon Judkins and Sampson figure to be the top two backs, with Jerome Ford serving as the primary third-down back. The 20-year-old Sampson rushed for 1,491 yards and 22 touchdowns (5.8 yards per carry) in 2024 at Tennessee, but he wasn't all that involved as a pass-catcher. He's a speedy back that could be worth a dart throw in deep PPR formats, but most likely he'll be an inconsistent fantasy performer unless Judkins misses time with an injury.